Atrophic Assassins
by Chimerical Knave
Summary: In the city of Defuncte there was always crime, always corruption...
1. Chapter 1

**_Atrophic Assassins_**

**_Chapter 1_**

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In the city of Defuncte there was always crime, always corruption. There was no end to it in any way or form because as long as there was still people willing to pay there was no end to the suppliers. But in this high-tech city of crime and minimal law there was one form of law that was feared by many…at least, feared by those who couldn't afford it.

A dark long alley-way littered the streets of Defuncte, rain dripped from numerous ladders and metal stands built into the sides of the walls. A peaceful pool of murky water reflected the city lights. The heavy sound of breathing and running echoed throughout the narrow urban hallway, the puddle was disturbed by the shoes of a lone figure…as the pool settled still there was a reflection of a tail passing over the rooftops.

The target was running away from a hidden force of nature, a deadly enemy to anyone who couldn't afford: the assassins. They ruled the city to a certain degree and took out anyone if they were paid to do so; in a sense they were the city's law enforcers…as well as other unknown positions.

The tabby cat had been a listed target for months but the hit had finally been ordered tonight and he was running for dear life. If he made it outside the city limits then he would be safe.

A dark figure was in hot pursuit from the rooftops. She had been training for months for her first mission and now that she had finally been selected, it wouldn't do her good if she failed. Failure was not an option.

The tabby cat only had a couple kilometers more to go before he had it outside the city. The assassin picked up her pace and began to leap rooftops faster. She ran along the side of one wall and jumped off of it, heading herself towards a drainage pipe where she held on for dear life while sliding down.

Her padded feet hit the soggy ground softly and then she was off in a burst of adrenaline. The tabby cat looked behind him to check if she was still following him…for a second he saw nothing, then there was a small shadow forming in the dark. He turned back around and began running faster, fear flowing in his veins. As he ran past some barrels he kicked them over, effectively blocking the pursuer's path. She heard the clanging of the empty gasoline barrels and charged up her pace slightly. Just before she ran into the barrels she went at an angle to the left, running across the wall and then landing on the other side of the barrels without breaking her consistent pace. The alleyway ended here and now it joined into a street…somewhere off in the front she could make out the dim form of her target running away.

She exited the alleyway and then took a right, running up a wall and then grabbing onto a metal pole that was jutting out from the wall. She swung herself back and forth until she gained enough momentum to swing herself near another drainage pipe. She let go and then grabbed the pipe with her paws and feet before scampering up onto the roof. She ran past air vents and hopped over a fence. She soon came to the edge of the roof where she looked down and saw her target flying down the stairs into the main subway. She noticed a large metal support line going from the roof down to the support pillars near the subway and grabbed onto it, sliding down. She jumped on the stair rails and slide down to the bottom where she jumped off and began her brisk pace once more.

She saw pillar after pillar of metal spaced every couple meters in the long subway hallway. On the other side there were the same evenly spaced pillars as well as another stairways leading up to the urban world. In the middle there was a large space to accompany the rails and the train, but currently unoccupied. She took her time to examine the area before hearing the blaring of a train signal echoing throughout the carved-in tunnel next to her. At that same moment her target compromised his location by running down the hallway; the assassin followed in hot pursuit.

He saw that there was a dead end at the other side with nowhere to go but back or over the rails. He made a quick decision to jump down and run across to the other side just as the train came rushing in. The train narrowly missed him as he scrambled onto the other side.

The assassin wasted no time and ran at one of the metal pillars. She jumped at it and then propelled herself off of it using her feet while landing on top of the still moving train. She fell onto her back and then rolled sideways off the train, breaking her fall by continuously rolling onto her shoulder on the other side. She got back up without so much as a scratch and ran once again.

The tabby was running up the stairways to the surface once more and then it wouldn't be long before he made it to the outer gates. As he ran up he knocked over some trashcans. The assassin jumped over them and used the railing to propel herself over rolling trashcans. At the mouth of the entrance he took a sharp left and willed himself to break his fourth wind. He ran past some fences and cut the curb at the end, taking another left.

The assassin noticed the fence to her left and jumped over it, she found herself in a junkyard of some sort. A dangerous shortcut, especially if she landed on an unstable or loose piece of metal which could make her fall into a sharp deathtrap. She ran up some small piles of metal detritus and then jumped off at the top, landing on the hood of a rusted old antique car. The metal groaned and dented but didn't give way so she was grateful for that. She then ran up the larger pile of debris and looked down, she was slightly ahead of the tabby cat but she would never make it in time to the fence below because of all the metal obstacles standing in the way. She looked down and saw a thick metal sheet lying at her feet, it looked like it was once a part of a construction project but she guessed that the size or material wasn't right so the contractor probably scraped it. It was perfect.

She set it down and then stepped on top of it, then she leaned forward and began to slowly slide forward. Then gravity did the rest and dragged her makeshift metal sled down the mountain of trash, protecting her from any sharp objects sticking up from the sides. Of course, she still had to angle her sled to avoid the larger pieces of metal sticking up but he didn't have much problem with the larger parts. As soon as she landed at the bottom she jumped off and then propelled herself over the fence.

The tabby cat ran past the curb and didn't look back. He only needed to run for a bit longer before he made it to the exit. He took a fraction of a second to check behind him, but when he saw no one pursuing him he felt more fearful of where she had gone. Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise to his left and he turned back around to feel something crash into the side of his head.

The assassin ha expertly angled her body over the fence so that she would be able to kick his head in the process. She landed on her feet as the tabby cat landed on his face. The tabby cat was stunned but he blindly stumbled to his feet, still trying to run away. The assassin ran up to him and then hit the back of his neck while twisting his arm away from him, thus breaking it in two places.

He yowled in pain and felt his body flip over onto the black asphalt, stars flying above his head. He coughed up blood from the assault to the back of his neck and then propped himself up against the wall of some building.

The assassin stared down at him as she raised her hood and revealed her features to him completely. He stared into the purple irises of a beautiful lynx.

"So it ends here, eh? The cat finally got the mouse."

She only replied, "Im'a lynx…and you're the cat."

"Since I'm going to die anyways…tell me your name young assassin."

She paused for a second before rationalizing that since he was going to be dead in a matter of seconds it wouldn't compromise her identity if she revealed only her name.

"The name's Miyu."

"Miyu eh? What a beautiful name for a beautiful gal like you…please, if anything, just make it end quickly."

She picked him up from the collar of his shirt and then slammed her knee into his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs before slamming her elbow down on his exposed back, effectively breaking his spine. She let the body slump to the ground before searching his pockets for anything of any use…nothing. He must have known that he wasn't going to make it out of the city; why else would he carry nothing but the clothes of his back?

Miyu shook all thoughts from her head, pulled up her hood, and then climbed a pipe in a nearby alleyway, heading for the rooftops once more.

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Miyu had passed her first mission, her first test. Even though Miyu was a full-fledged assassin now, she was still only 17 years old. She wouldn't earn the title of Stalker, or otherwise known as S-rank, until she assassinated for 2 years straight, and then after that she wouldn't earn the title of Shadow-Stalker until after 5 more years.

The assassin's nest was hidden deep within the confines of the urban sewers. Nobody dared to venture in the sewage systems alone unless they had a good reason, and the only good reason for anyone to be lurking down there was for business. Even then, with business privileges, most people wouldn't stray past the first level. There were rumors of people who had gone down to the second levels and had been killed by the assassins. Contrary to the rumors, anybody who did venture lower than the first levels either got lost within the maze of pipes and raw sewage or slipped down a deathtrap sewage container. The assassins wouldn't harm anyone roaming about and minding their own business until they got to the third level where the entrance to the assassin's nest was, but nobody was worried about anyone making it past the second level much less finding the entrance by accident.

Miyu hopped down a manhole and landed on solid concrete. The first level was fairly dry because most of the sewage runoff had made its way into the second, third, and fourth levels. She hurried along near the sides of the tunnel, taking special care to try and blend in with her surroundings. She went further along until the tunnel became shrouded in darkness. It was pitch black but she had been through here so many times that she never paused to gain her bearings, she just kept on moving along. She finally came across some puddles in the ground and stopped immediately. She reached in her pouch that hung from her waist and pulled out a reusable flare. She ignited the flare and the small torch blazed to life, lighting the area around her. She had come to a fallen area of the tunnel where the ceiling had collapsed on itself, but she grabbed one of the rubble pieces and lifted it up. Five other rubble pieces were stuck to the one that she picked up but it was almost as if the six rocks weighed like a feather to her. Underneath the fake rocks there was a hole that would drop her in a safe part of the second level. She stepped into the hole and held onto the rocks upside down, and then she nudged the rest of her body through the hole while the fake rocks covered up the hole once more.

She expertly weaved her way around the confusing maze of pipes and fallen cement boulders that littered the area. The second level had more sewage and more holes to plunge through, though none of the holes would lead her to the nest. After a couple minutes of climbing, jumping, and running Miyu finally found a hole that had a dead skeleton sitting by it and a ladder sticking out the middle. She grabbed the ladder and then slid all the way down.

This time when she landed, the sewage water came up to her knees. The third level was probably the most dangerous level out of the other three, partially because this level had plenty of traps set up around areas that seemed safe. The best way to survive in the third level was to take the most dangerous paths. So Miyu began wading in the opposite direction of the shallow waters, the sewage now coming up to her chest. She began to trudge slowly through the waste and filth for about another couple minutes until the water began to get shallower and cleaner. Up ahead there were two different paths: one path had jagged metal sticking up from the sides and cracks everywhere, the other path had clear water with an open easy-going path. Not surprisingly, Miyu picked the first path. Unbeknownst to anyone who didn't travel back and forth down here regularly, the cracks in the floor weren't actually dangerous. The path that Miyu was taking looked very weak, but in reality there were hidden support beams located under the path. Miyu took this path for a short while until she reached a dead end and a large hole to her right. The wall looked very brittle and old but Miyu knew better than to mess with it, instead she jumped down the hole and fell for a couple seconds before she hit water. This water was different from the sewage water up above. Her people had made sure that this water was purer, pure enough to swim in. She swam forward, past the old wall above her, and soon came across some stairs leading up to a pressure door. Miyu walked up to the door and then turned the handle back and forth like one would turn a combination lock. A few seconds later the handle turned by itself and the door swung inward. As soon as she walked inside the door slammed shut and she proceeded to disrobe. When she had removed all of her clothing and was bare naked she put her belongings in a small compartment before pulling a lever that washed away any remaining filth that had clung to her. After she was done she dried herself using a fan built on both sides and clothed herself once more. She waited a moment longer before the small shower room shook violently, a moment later it hit something and then stopped still. She opened the door again and stepped inside her home: the nest.

Numerous assassins were walking across the main floor, a couple of them were sparring in a corner, some others were reading a book, and still others were haggling over some item. Miyu stepped out and the elevator/shower rose back to the third level once more.

This was the fourth level...

This was the assassin's nest.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Atrophic Assassins**_

_**Chapter 2**_

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Miyu made her way to her "den" as they called it down here. Every assassin's den was different yet similar in style compared to others. All the assassin's dens had just about the same space and colors but each room represented its individual owner and so no room was exactly the same. As Miyu walked towards her den she was greeted by her foxy friend Krystal. Ironically, Krystal was a fox with a very foxy attitude, but don't let that confuse your assessment of her skills; she was very skilled in the art of weaponry.

Krystal bounded up behind Miyu and grappled her to the ground. Miyu, as always, had the upper hand and managed to roll Krystal to a position underneath her. She then pressed her forearm into her throat, pretending to choke Krystal to death.

"You surrender?"

"Never…"

Krystal surprised Miyu this time by using her thigh to shift Miyu to the side, turning the tables on her. Krystal didn't bother trying to choke Miyu; instead she just sat on top of her and smiled triumphantly.

"You done yet?"

Krystal gave a sly look along with a smile before standing up and helping Miyu to her feet. "Sure…I guess you could say that. But you need to build up your stamina…I mean come on…you're asking if I was done with you after one minute. You won't be able to please your mate with an attitude like that. Oh, I almost forgot…you don't have a mate yet do you?"

Miyu closed her eye and shook her head slowly, as if she couldn't believe the nature of her friend. "Sometimes Krystal…I swear…I wonder if you're ever going to find a suitable mate."

"Of course I am…just look at my beauty." Krystal lifted her chin high and then struck a somewhat sexual pose.

Miyu examined Krystal over very quickly. True, Krystal was a walking beauty such as herself…if you counted good looks along with ammo straps going across her chest and an oversized rifle strapped to her back. Her beauty was more likely to be defined as one of those fierce Amazonian warrior women: Beautiful yet contrastingly deadly.

Even though Krystal was very childish, playful, and foxy in character she was in no way, sense, or form any less deadlier than Miyu…if anything, she was more potent than Miyu. Krystal was what the assassins would call "quick-minded". But mind you, these were other assassins calling her quick-minded; their definition of quick-minded was completely different than an average-everyday-Joe's.

Krystal was not only quick witted in her tongue but also in her mind…the strategic side. For example, on a certain mission that would require more than one assassin, which meant that they would need a party of assassins, if Miyu was to be put in charge as the party leader than she would execute the mission very effectively…but with a few casualties too. Her team needs to take out a group of men located inside a building surrounded on all sides by walls. There are empty trucks in the parking lot, a couple oil barrels lying against the wall, and one entrance in and out of the targeted building. Miyu would most likely take the approach of blowing up the barrels and the trucks, causing destruction as well as confusion. The explosion from the barrels would most likely break a hole in the wall…forcing the targets to come outside. The sight of their totaled vehicles would lower their moral as well as disorient them. Miyu would then take her team in and wipe them out with minimal injuries.

Now let's look at Krystal's perspective. She wouldn't need to use the vehicles to disorient anything…except for bait. She would order one of her party members to trigger a alarm inside the building, drawing the targets outside. As the targets searched for the intruder they would eventually be led outside to check things out, Krystal would then order the rest of her party members to engage the targets from afar, goading them to run away instead of putting up a fight…because how can you fight something that you can barely see? While the targets made a run to their vehicles Krystal would've already been training her rifle sights on the highly explosive barrels. When the targets were in proximity of the estimated explosion's radius she would pull the trigger and set off some large fireworks. The heat and force from the blast would without a doubt take out more than a few targets immediately while rendering the rest useless or immobile. After the explosion, Krystal would then order everyone to move in for the final kills without any casualties whatsoever.

This was a quick thinker within the assassin's ranks…someone who knew how to plan missions out with minimal to no casualties. And because of Krystal's uncanny ability to think out situations such as this, she was steadily climbing the ranks with unsurprising ease.

"Uh huh…If I were you I'd get rid of all the equipment first before calling myself beautiful."

Krystal snorted and flung her tail in Miyu's face before walking away. Miyu just rolled her eyes before continuing back to her den. As Miyu walked past the numerous shut doors to her left and right she began to reminisce on her past…how she met Krystal…how she came to be an assassin:

_A young female lynx sat in a dark corner of a recently abandoned apartment, her head buried in her knees and sobbing lightly; the clothes on her fur were old, worn, and tattered. In what was supposed to be the living room there was a bloody mess: The table had been smashed in, the chairs were knocked over, and if you scrutinized it all closely enough you could just barely make out the crimson bundle of flesh._

_A moment earlier there had been a great struggle between the lynx's parents and some shady fox. Her parents were murdered on the spot after the intruder broke in. He began to terrorize them for no particular reason before he murdered them one by one in front of the lynx, first her father then her mother. The fact that he had murdered them in front of the innocent child was cruel in itself…but it was crueler in the style and way in which the perpetrator had carried out his sick task. The father had it coming first; he was slowly strangled using the child's own jumping rope. But before he died from choking the fox pulled out a long object of some sort and had pierced his lungs with it, ending in a slow and painful death of drowning in your own blood. The lynx's mom covered her daughter's eyes and sheltered her from the gruesome scene…the sheltering didn't last for long because she could still hear the gurgling of her father's voice. The fox watched his victim die before dragging the mother away from the crying lynx._

_The mother's death was carried out with no more mercy than the father's. The fox lifted the lynx's mother up with one hand and then stuck the sharp object through her throat. He then let go of both the mother and sword and watched the mother lynx wildly grasp at the hilt of the sword, trying desperately to pry it from her esophagus but utterly failing. With a last final struggle the mother lynx's arms fell to her sides and she gave a one last longing stare at her daughter before falling on the father lynx. The fox laughed maniacally before ripping the sword away from the body and turning to face the young lynx child. She whimpered in fear but then surprised the fox by standing up and holding her ground instead of running away. The lynx girl cried out and ran at the fox teeth bared, claws outstretched, and tears streaming down her face. The fox backhanded the lynx and sent her spinning into the wall…when the lynx was able to regain her senses and look up the mysterious fox was standing at the entrance of her doorway, grinning maliciously yet nodding his head as if he approved of her fighting spirit. Then with the flash of thunder he was lost in the pouring rain outside._

_The lynx didn't know who the fox was, why the fox had killed her parents, but she did know what his eyes looked like. When the thunder had flashed she had seen the features of his evil face: His left eye was a dull, blue orb._

_After crying for what seemed like an eternity, the lynx crawled to her dead parents and slept in her mother's cold, dead lifeless arms. The storm outside only seemed to intensify, the crack of thunder jolting the lynx awake every now and then._

_The next morning the lynx woke up in her mother's arms and snuggled in closer for warmth and comfort. When she didn't get a response and the smell of death hit her nostrils she quickly stood up and recalled everything from last night in vivid detail. She broke away from her mother's stiff arms and took in the scene in broad daylight. Tears began to flow freely once more as she cradled herself, trying to reassure herself that it was all a bad dream._

_Suddenly the floor creaked slightly and the shadow of a fox fell across her; she immediately thought of the mysterious fox that had killed her parents. Her mind was filled with anger as her breathing became ragged and heavy; the creaking stopped right behind her. The lynx screamed in anger and spun around while swinging her arm at where she though his face would be. Her arm met nothing but air as it passed over the fox's head; she snarled and threw a punch. The fox seemed to be able to read her every move because he dodged her punch too. The lynx was surprised for a second before she became so enraged that she just charged the fox this time. The fox waited patiently for her to come into range and then he lashed out with frightening speed and accuracy…and picked up the still struggling lynx in his arms, setting her mid-section on his shoulder and then carrying her out her door. As she saw her dead parent's body getting farther and farther away she suddenly didn't want to fight anymore. She began to kick, scream and cry, ordering the fox to take her back to her parents. The fox gave no heed to her commands or even acknowledged that she was putting up a struggle. The lynx only calmed down after realizing that this fox had shades on and had white hair. This fox was different from the fox from last night…this fox meant her no harm._

_The fox carried the lynx down the sewer system and lugged her through a never ending maze of dark hallways and pipes. It became so repetitive to the lynx that she soon fell asleep from boredom and fatigue. She was awakened by the shudder of the elevator/shower. The fox opened the door and she was beheld by the sight of the white, pure cleanliness of this underground world; contrastingly different against the dirty, dark dreary world of the sewers. Everywhere the lynx looked she saw happy people, some of the folks even smiled and waved at her. She didn't know what to do so she just stared and waved back also._

_The fox took her past many slide doors located along the stretched hallway. He soon led her to a room, which she suspected was his own. It was rather large for a room: A medium sized bed in one corner, a desk with a stack of messy papers lying on top, and a strangely high-domed ceiling with a grossly large painting of some sickly colored green. The lynx cub pointed at the ceiling and had to ask why he painted it that color._

"_Mister…why did you paint your ceiling an ugly color?"_

"_Oh that, hahaha…well first off my name is Fox. Second off, that isn't a painting. That is a window that is showing what is above your new home."_

"_My…new home?"_

"_Ya…since your old home is gone. I saw your parents lying dead on the floor…"_

"_Wait how did you know that I needed a new home?" The lynx asked inquisitively._

"_Its called scouting, young-un. I go off in search for new members for our growing community. I find that the ones who have nothing to lose are the best for our community so I go search for them. It just happens that I found your door broken open and decided to investigate."_

_As the lynx was reminded of her dead parents she began to cry again, unable to hold back her tears. The fox gave her a warm smile and beckoned her to come closer, opening his arms with strange but tenderly love. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried into it while he patted her back._

"_Everything's going to be alright kid…you're with me…you're with us."_

_She only nodded her head and held onto Fox._

"_By the way…I never got your name."_

"_Miyu." She whispered._


	3. Chapter 3

**_Atrophic Assassins_**

**_Chapter 3_**

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_Miyu was still too scarred by the direct view of her parents death and so she had not come out of Fox's "office" as he called it. Everyday Fox would wait until Miyu woke up before saying good morning to Miyu and asking her how she felt today. She would only reply in a whisper that she missed her parents. Fox tried everything to make Miyu come out and explore the vicinity of her new home but she was too wrought with anguish and sorrow. But after one week of being constantly pestered and encouraged to move on by Fox, Miyu finally decided to take a chance to explore; she actually wanted to forget about the incident and erase it from her memories. She had somewhat resolved herself to move on._

_The next day Miyu woke up in Fox's bed. She stretched and looked around her but Fox was no where to be seen with his usual morning greeting. The only source of light was the lamp in the corner; Miyu looked up but of course there was no sunlight shining through the ceiling window…it was just the sewage water._

_She got out of the bed and cautiously and slid the door open to where she would peer out into the hallway: there was no one. The hallways seemed strangely quiet considering the amount of people she had seen yesterday. Miyu silently walked down the hallway and soon appeared at the large lobby with a high arched ceiling, so high that she had to crane her neck back just to see the elevator hatch in the middle. Everything was white and pure here…It was peaceful, beautiful, and welcoming._

_Something hit the floor and Miyu spun around in fear. Some panther was crouching on the floor and was just now standing up. From the looks of things he had jumped from the ceiling or somewhere similar to that._

_Miyu stared at him as he stared back._

"_Where did you come from?" She asked innocently._

_The panther smiled and then pointed to his upper right. Miyu followed his finger and noticed that there were some stairs behind her leading up another level, which in turn led up to yet another level, and so on and so forth. Miyu had not noticed the stairs that were behind her…it almost blended in with the wall because everything was so white._

"_How did you do that without getting hurt?" Miyu asked yet another question._

"_Oh…practice." The panther spoke up in a husky voice, "Want me to show you how to do it painlessly?"_

_Miyu nodded her head._

"_Follow me up the stairs. Lady's first."_

_Miyu smiled and bound up the stairs. From the floor perspective it didn't look high but now that she was at the edge and staring down at the floor, it felt like she was at the top of the world._

"_Here I'll go first. This is the proper way to do it. You jump down and make sure that you land with whatever foot you are most comfortable with. Then as you land on that leg, make sure that you support your fall with your second leg by bending into it. And as a last resort cautionary move, make sure you go down onto your knees and then plant both hands on the ground."_

_Miyu stared and stared at him with a blank face._

"_Here…watch me closely."_

_The panther moved back a couple paces and began to breath in and out. He then began a sprint and at the last second jumped over the edge. Miyu thought for sure that he was going to break his leg, but he landed with his right leg first and then as his whole body came down on it, he quickly let his left knee hit the ground. As this all happened he leaned his body forward while going into a semi-prone form with both hands finally slamming into the ground. He then stood up and dusted his hands before looking up and smiling at Miyu. He then beckoned her to try it too._

"_Come on…show me what you got."_

"_But I'm not su-_

"_Its alright…I'll catch you."_

"_You sure?"_

"_Ya…now come on…fly! Fly like a bird!"_

_Miyu took a couple steps back and began to breath just like the panther. After a few moments she closed her eyes and then sprinted as fast as she could towards the edge. She jumped slightly earlier than she was supposed too and gravity began to pull her down. As she saw the ground rushing up to meet her she was caught in the strong arms of the friendly panther._

"_You did good for your first try."_

_Miyu was breathing heavily now as the adrenaline rushed into her veins._

"_I wanna try it again…"_

_The panther cocked an eyebrow and stared at her with a surprised expression._

"_You sure bout that? You don't need to-_

"_I want to…cuz it looks fun."_

_Miyu ran up the steps and then thought to herself for a moment before stopping halfway. She was going to jump from a slightly lower spot._

"_Don't catch me mister…I want to do this on my own."_

"_The name's Sam…and good luck."_

_Miyu didn't hesitate this time, nor did she close her eyes. She copied every single detail that the panther had told her to do._

_She jumped over the edge…_

_Miyu landed on hard gravel and then rolled into her fall before bounding right back up and continuing her sprint._

"_RUN FASTER! JUMP HIGHER! THINK BETTER!" Fox yelled at the rising rogues. They were the next generation of assassins and he had been given rights to train them. The young assassins were currently partaking in a running course that tested their limits on stamina and endurance…this also separated the "runners" from the "gunners". The runners were those who specialized in close-quarter-combat and usually ran after their prey, wearing them down before going in for the kill. The gunners were the more covert specialists who preferred the "perfect" assassination, which was when the target didn't have a clue as to what had hit them…or in other words, killed them._

"_IF YOUR TARGET IS RUNNING THROUGH A MAZE OF ALLEYWAYS THEN WHAT DO YOU DO?"_

"_WE TAKE THE ROOFS!"_

"_GOOD! NOW CLIMB UP THERE AND RUN!"_

_Approximately 14 children all ran to what seemed like a dead end to any normal person, but then they began to climb the steep wall with jagged sides; Miyu was one of them. As soon as Miyu reached the top she didn't hesitate and began to jump from rooftop to rooftop. She wasn't first of course but she was still in the top five. Miyu willed herself to jump longer and fly higher…which is just what she did._

_At the end of her daily course training they were forced to trudge back through the sewers…alone. They would have to find the path themselves if they wanted to be independently capable in the future, but for now it was all about trust and teamwork._

_Miyu still had not made any friends or close allies in the couple weeks that she had spent with the assassins. She was the typical lone-wolf: Looking out for herself, doing everything by herself, and being by herself. Until she took a wrong turn…_

_Miyu desperately tried to pull herself from the sewer muck but it kept on sucking her in deeper, like quicksand. Miyu's panicked mind screamed at her to grab something before she suffocated and died here. She looked around for her companions but they were far behind her; she had wanted to travel alone and she was paying for her mistake._

_Miyu desperately cried out to anyone but she knew it was futile to try. By the time anyone reached her voice it would be too late. As she felt the thick muck reach her neck she prepared herself to died peacefully when out of the darkness a voice rang out._

"_You look like you could use some help."_

_Miyu opened her eyes and was awed at the sight of a very pretty vixen…a pelt of blue so radiant that she swore she was an angel. Her fur looked so silky and soft…her face, so innocent and beautiful, a short muzzle with a set of blue curious eyes._

"_Ya…I could use some help."_

_The blue vixen reached behind her and hefted a long metal pole. She then stuck it in the muck and roughly estimated where Miyu's legs would be._

"_Hey can you feel the pole with your feet?"_

"_Why would I need my feet? Shouldn't you just give it to my hands?"_

_The blue vixen shook her head. "No…you wouldn't be strong enough to pull yourself out."_

_Miyu realized that what she had said was true. There was no way that she could pull herself out when basically her whole body was under. She moved her legs until she hit something hard and then she stood on it._

"_Now I'm going to put some weight on my end of the pole…I want you to push yourself out using your legs. You should be able to do that…your legs are stronger than your arms anyways."_

_Krystal quickly dragged a large stove and pushed it on top of the pole, holding it in place. She was stronger than she looked._

_Miyu began to push down on the pole. At first the pole started to bend and she was worried that it was going to snap but it held her weight in addition to the pulling force of the muck. Slowly, but surly, Miyu began to resurface again. By the time Miyu was halfway out of the muck Krystal had already found a large plank of wood that wasn't worn down too much. She slapped the flat-end into the muck and it floated._

"_Here grab onto the plank now and drag yourself to me."_

_Miyu held onto the wooden plank and dragged herself forward while walking on the pole at the same time. The dual-wielded force of both her feet and hands overpowered the muck by itself and so Miyu was able to get out safely._

_Once she escaped the death-trap muck she collapsed and thanked the blue vixen._

"_Say…what's your name anyway?"_

"_I won't tell you unless you tell me your's first."_

"_Fine by me. My name's Miyu."_

"_Well I'm Krystal…nice to meet you."_

_She held out her paw and waited for Miyu to shake it. When Miyu hesitated she cocked her head to the side and asked, "What's the matter? Don't want to be friends?"_

"_No…its not that…It's just that you're really pretty and I don't want to ruin your fur with my sewage covered hand."_

_Krystal rolled her eyes and her paws fell on her hips._

"_Now why would I care about how my fur looks. Lookie here…I hope this will make you feel better."_

_Krystal briskly strode to the sewage quicksand edge and Miyu tried to stop her but failed utterly since she didn't want to touch her wonderful fur. What Krystal did next shocked Miyu as well as making her respect Krystal a little more. Krystal rolled in a small puddle of the muck that Miyu had left when she had first escaped the death-trap. After Krystal was sure that her fur was thoroughly saturated in the muck she stood up and tried again._

"_Now…where were we? Oh ya…Friend request?" Krystal held out her hand and flashed a smile._

_Miyu thought about the start of a new friendship. She had never really committed herself to anyone but maybe…she would commit herself to Krystal. Just this once she would accept a new family into her lonesome life._

_Miyu smiled back and grasped Krystal's hand in a firm handshake, the muck emitting a squelching sound as they shook. "Friend request accepted."_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Atrophic Assassins**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

Miyu smiled to herself and opened her door. Just as she was about to walk in she heard something very familiar in the hallways. The voice of Fox…and Krystal?

She had to investigate this…her curiosity was too much to bear without knowing what the two were talking about. It was nothing new to Miyu that Krystal liked Fox.. She had known about this instructor/student crush thing for quite a while now. Miyu peered around a corner and saw Krystal walking down the opposite end with Fox next to her. Her tail was playfully brushing against Fox's but he didn't seem to notice…or maybe he didn't mind. And as usual Fox had his shades on…he never seemed to go anywhere without his shades. She had once asked him why he never took them off, his simple but confusing reply had been, _"If I took them off then I wouldn't be able to teach you."_

Miyu didn't understand what Fox had meant…but something told her that she didn't want to understand. After roughly 10 years of living among fellow assassins Miyu had come to learn that some things are best left alone and that some things just shouldn't be brought up.

She had learned this the hard way. Ever since that day that she had met Sam the panache panther, Miyu had developed some sort of crush on him. She had loved the way that he carried himself…she had loved the way that his voice sounded so deep and powerful…she had loved the way that he always tried to teach her new things. But those days were long gone.

Indeed, it only just felt like yesterday that he had left her now that she reminisced on the past once more.

-==-=-=--=--=-

_One day Sam had come to Miyu early in the morning and had whispered to her that he had to leave. Miyu wanted to know why but Sam had only shook his head and said that he had learned a terrible truth and couldn't be seen near her anymore._

_"Sam? What are you doing in my room this early? And why are you dressed for travel?"_

_"I must go very soon-_

_"Where to?"_

_"Someplace far from here."_

_"Will you return?"_

_..._

_"No...I have just recently been delving into some of this facilities benefactors as well as its employers and I found out some terrible truths. I can't stay here much longer so I plan to leave today."_

_"Take me with you Sam. I want to come with you too."_

_"No Miyu! I can't be seen near you or around you. It would only put you in more danger...and I don't want that."_

_"But why?"_

_"I can't tell you Miyu...because if you knew then that would make you dangerous and then They would have to take you out."_

_"Who is They?"_

_"They are a small group of powerful individuals who you don't want to get involved with. Now I don't have much time left so I decided to drop by your room for a second. I now see that this course of action was not wise."_

_As Sam turned to walk out the door Miyu jumped from her bed and landed in front of Same, graceful as a cat and as quick as a preying mantis._

_Sam smiled at this and procrastinated his leaving._

_"You've gotten so much stronger since the first time I met you Miyu. I never really got the chance to watch you grow since I've always been on hits. You've grown so much..."_

_Sam reached out and caressed Miyu's left cheek. She looked up into his blue irises and stepped in closer._

_"Sam...I don't know if I can continue on in this life without the reassurance of your steady gaze on my back. Who will be there to protect me?"_

_"You've got Krystal. I've got more faith in that feisty girl than any other assassin that we got in this community." Sam closed the gap with a step of his own.  
_

_"But I want you..." Miyu almost said in a whisper, and after this she stared at the ground._

_Sam reached his paw under her chin and lifted it to where she was forced to stare back at his face. His blue eyes searched her purple eyes._

_"You will always have me Miyu."_

_Sam suddenly moved in for the unexpected kiss. Miyu's tail shot straight up into the air and she had a slightl hiccup before melting into the kiss. Sam held their kiss together by caressing her face with both of his hands. Then he let go and disappeared from Miyu's sights. She only took a second to snap out of her trance but that was enough time for Sam to make his escape. When she caught a hold of her bearings and rushed out into the hallway, Sam was already gone._

_Later that day as Miyu was going about her usual daily training, she noticed that Fox was staring at her intently. Miyu wanted to ask Fox some questions but before she could reach Fox he had fled with the crowd of other higher ranking assassins._

_Miyu was hurting on the inside, she wanted to know where Sam had run off to so she tried to contact Fox all day. But whenever she tried to get in touch with him it seemed as if he was trying to avoid her. No matter what she did Fox seemed to completely stray off of her "radar".  
_

_Finally as the day ended Miyu had waited outside his office door and cut Fox off from entering his room._

"_Fox…I want to know where he is."_

_Fox played the innocent act. "Where who is Miyu?"_

"_Don't play games with me Fox…I know that you know about this already."_

_Fox dropped his act and ran his paw through his white hair._

"_I…I don't know what to tell you Miyu."_

"_Tell me where he went."_

"_I'm afraid that I can't do that Miyu…listen to me…it's better if you just don't ask and forget about him."_

"_I want to know where Sam is!"_

"_I can't let you suffer Miyu."_

"_JUST TELL ME WHERE HE WENT!" Miyu screamed at Fox…then, surprisingly, she attacked him._

_He seemed prepared though and was easily able to counter her move, twisting her arm around her own neck and choking her lightly._

_Then as Miyu struggled Fox whispered in her ear, "Do you really want to know what happened to Sam?....Do you think that you can handle the truth?...Some things are best left untold" Then pausing before continuing, "you would be much better off if you just dropped this subject altogether."_

_Miyu stood deathly still after thinking to herself but she wouldn't believe the truth…couldn't believe the truth…until someone confirmed it._

"_Just…tell me."_

_"I don't want to be the cause of your pain so I'll just show you."_

_Fox took Miyu by the hand and then led her to his office. Inside his office there were other more "prestigious" members of the assassin society gathered round a table whispering amongst themselves. They all stopped and turned to stare at the intruder: Miyu._

_"What is a rogue doing here?" One of the senior assassins asked._

_"These details shouldn't be revealed to a second year rogue." A SS rank assassin said._

_Fox defended Miyu throughly._

_"She was a close friend of Sam...I felt that she should at least know what happened to him, if nothing else."_

_After a prolonged pause they parted to let Miyu and Fox through._

_On the table there were a three pictures. One of these pictures had an image of a dead falcon in it. The falcon had been shot through the head by some large caliber round. In the second picture there was a similar picture except this one had a lion in it. The last picture forced Miyu to gasp and tremble in her knees.__ She felt her throat go dry and her world shatter around her as she looked upon the truth. It was common sense to know that Sam was dead…but her mind had just now registered it since Fox had so blatantly shown her.__ It was a dark panther lying face down in the pavement, a couple meters away from the city exit; his head torn in half from the same large caliber round that had claimed the lives of its two previous victims._

_The SS rank assassin nodded and then ordered Fox to take Miyu away._

_As Miyu walked away her sensitive ears picked up the sentences of, "Our poor brethern, murdered-_

_Miyu dropped to the floor as soon as Fox had released her. She began to cry…just like that time when Fox had first found her. Just like the time when she had nothing else…_

_Miyu was heart-broken and thought that she had nothing left once again, but a certain someone reminded her that she still had one person left: Krystal._

_Krystal comforted Miyu through the entire week of depression. She had been there to help Miyu get back on her feet._

_Now Krystal was the only closest friend that she had left. Krystal was the only family that she had left._

_...--==-----....  
_

_Although, it is strange how friends and family can turn on each other in the blink of an eye…how very strange._

-==-=-=--=--=-


	5. Chapter 5

**Atrophic Assassins**

_**Chapter 5**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

_The breeze rushed past Miyu's ruffled yet contrastingly silky hair as she crossed several rooftops. A couple feet in front of her a purple panther led her to her next destination. His name was Sam and he was her instructor._

_In their community there were a couple of instructors; Fox and Sam were the main two. Sam specialized in further developing the stamina and speed of the runners and Fox specialized in further increasing te gunner's aim and skill with weaponry._

_They were both highly versed in their separate respective skills. Fox could pick off a can at 500 feet using only a pistol, and he wouldn't even need to steady his breathing or aim; Sam's running time for the hundred meter dash was 8 seconds flat and his running time for a mile was only 5 minutes and 26 seconds._

_Miyu's running time for the hundred meter dash was only 11 seconds and she was the fastest one out of her group now._

_Suddenly Sam stopped and Miyu had to snap out of her thoughts abruptly in order to stop herself from falling over the edge. She failed miserably and tettered at the edge on her bare paws. Sam reached out an pulled Miyu in close._

"_Be careful Miyu…you have to be aware of your surroundings. You can't day dream when you're on a mission."_

_She down at the gravel rooftop in shame. "I'm sorry Sam…I just can't focus that well-_

"_Don't be. I went through the same thing…except I was worse."_

_Upon hearing this Miyu looked up in surprise. "No way! You were worse than me?"_

"_Yup…I would always stare into dead space and dream all day about this or that. Let me tell you…if it wasn't for Fox I would have been discharged from the ranks or worse. Ya…I owe it all to Fox for helping me in shit situations."_

_Miyu cocked her head to the side and smirked. "You…really are something aren't you?"_

"_What you mean by that m'lady?" Sam joked._

"_I mean that you're very carefree and…tolerant. Unlike Fox…he was nice at first but then he seemed to become distant with me."_

"_Well its only natural Miyu…you have to remember that he has a position as an instructor. He's there to instruct rising rogues, not befriend them. And besides, you're a runner while he's a gunner. Runners and gunners don't usualy mix-_

"_What about me and Krystal?" Miyu's right eyebrow, as well as her tail, shot up._

"_That's exactly why I said usually they don't mix up. You and Krystal are one weird exception."_

"_Weird? Hows that?"_

"_Cause…you two are the best in your separate classes and yet you two get along so well. Me and Fox weren't exactly the best in our classes but the top two always competed against each other to see who was really the best of the best."_

"_Well me and Krystal don't care about being the best of the best…we only care for each other. Got a problem?"_

_Sam raised his right brow this time as he examined Miyu's open and rebellious behavior._

"_Matter of fact I do. With Krystal in the way, there's no room for me."_

_Miyu lightly hit Sam. "Silly you! There's always room for you here."_

"_Really? Is there room for me right now?" Sam moved in close and whispered in a low tone._

_Miyu began searching Sam's face as she grabbed a hold of his shirt. "I think I can make some room for you…"_

_Just before they could move any further a shout interupted their moment._

"_HEY SAM! WHERE YOU AT!"It was the voice of Fox._

_This was followed by "MIYU AND SAM SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"which was the unmistakable and unfortunate voice of Krystal._

_Miyu quickly pushed Sam away from her and then smoothed her shirt down while trying to return herself to normal. She then looked at Sam and smiled before jumping off the edge and sliding down a drainage pipe._

_Sam watched her go down before he jumped down himself…_

_

* * *

_

"_So you're finally ready to pick out your final weapon?" Fox asked Krystal as they walked into the "locker" room; they were closely followed in by both Sam and Miyu._

_Krystal's eyes sparkled with childish delight and excitement as she surveyed the vast array of weaponry available to her greedy fiendish paws._

_Krstal suddenyl exclaimed, "OH! Wow I want to try that one out," and scampered further into the locker room. Fox briskly walked in after Krystal and sternly voiced his concern on safety but his precautions were all thrown aside; Sam led Miyu into a separate part of the locker room._

_In this part there were no guns, firearms, or explosives of any kind…only knifes, swords, and sharp throwable objects._

_Sam raised his arms and pointed to the steel armaments of death. "Take your pick."_

_Miyu smiled and picked up a small but cruel jagged dagger that was curved at the tip. As she examined it further she noted the excellent craftsmanship of the dagger as well as the lethality of it. On one side it was curved while on the other it had small hooks so that when it pierced skin it would rip and shred the inside of the victim when the user forcefuly yanked it out. Miyu pocketed this and then proceeded to pick another weapon out. Each assassin was limited to only two weapons of his/her liking. There was a primary and then a secondary; although for runners it could very well be said that they hav three sets of weapons: Their primary, secondary, and, last but not least, their paws. Miyu had decided that the dagger would be her primary and moved further into the locker "hallway"._

_All the swords that had been manufactured for the runners were specifically tailored to their specifications. All swords were of lightweight material that was still flexible and durable. Miyu forgot the actual name of the material used but the slang term for it was "chrome"._

_Miyu walked past an open door and then stopped herself as her interest soared with whatever laid in the room. She walked in and was immediately greeted by rows upon rows of all sorts of "aerial" weaponry._

_There were three pronged "stars" as well as eight pronged stars. There were throwing knifes as well as throwable machetes. Miyu finally rested her watchful gaze upon a hidden set of throwing knifes. She brushed away the stars in front of it with a loud resounding jangle before she picked it up and made her decision on her secondary form of weaponry._

_The knifes were a rare sight to behold. They were heavier than the rest of the sets, Miyu could tell just by handling their weight. They were triple pronged knifes with many grooves and curves detailed into its design to make it more aerodynamic. They almost looked like leaves…Miyu thought they wre beautiful._

_Sam walked in at this particular moment and whistled out loud. "You look like you just saw Santa Claus on Christmas."_

_She held up her set of throwing knifes and smiled. "Maybe not Santa, but whoever made these are fit enough to be my Santa."_

"_Wait a minute…let me look at those." Sam furrowed his eyebrows and took them from Miyu's outstretched paws._

"_Wow…this is ironic." He finally said after looked at the delicate set with a careful eye._

"_What is?"_

"_This set…this was used by me back when I was a rising rogue" Then Sam handed then back to Miyu and showed Miyu his personal set of throwing knifes, "But now I use these custom made babes."_

_His set of throwing knifes were triangular in shape and had a "innocent-mudane" look to them. They were traingular to the untrained eye but Miyu could easily make out the faintly etched grooves in his knifes, giving them a rather deadly curve._

_Miyu cocked her right eyebrow as she took her selected knifes back. "Babes? You've got to be kidding me."_

_Sam shrugged and then asked her what was wrong. Miyu just shook her head and laughed as she walked out of the room._

"_What? Whats so funny?"_

"_Nothing…ha…you can be so silly sometimes."_

_Sam folded his arms across his chest and scrutinized Miyu's form as she walked away from the locker hallway. He muttered under his breath, "Man…I don't get her sometimes."_

_As Miyu walked out with her newly found "friends" she overheard Krystal talking with Fox._

"_I want this one."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_I already told you that I'm very sure."_

"_This is a very powerful highly powered rifle with a huge caliber…we don't come by these things easily. It takes forever to fix one you know?"_

"_Don't worry I'll take good care of it…"_

_Miyu peered around the corner and gasped at the sight. Krystal looked like she came out of some Rambo movie._

_She had her paws on a very sizable rifle that looked as if it could do some serious damage with just one round. Around her waist she had on a belt which held many pouches; all of them carrying a magazine for the rifle. Draped over her shoulder like some silky shawl Krystal wore a ammo belt. Miyu dropped her jaws as she saw Krystal's secondary weapon of choice: a machine gun._

_Krystal then snapped her high powered rifle onto her extra shoulder straps and then lumbered out, grinning like she just won the lottery._

"_OH! Hey Miyu! You don't picking your stuff?"_

_Miyu could only nod her head as she stared at Krystal's weapons of destruction._

"_I can see that you like my Barrett's Model 82A1…Fox told me that they don't make these models anymore so its an antique basically. You know what else is cool? Fox has a gun just like this…he tells me that its not different from mine but I think that his Barretts is better than mine. Did you know that its 50 caliber round can rip someone's head in half? Fox told me that…he tells me a lot of useful facts."_

_Miyu could only nod again._

"_By the way have you met my heavy machine gun? I forgot its name but it can fire 1000-1200 rounds per minute."_

"_Wow…" Was all Miyu could muster to say after all that time._

"_Well…we gonna stand here and stare at each other all day? Or are we going to test these babies out?"_

"_Actually I might go with Sam…I want him to teach me how to use these knifes and daggars and what-not."_

_Upon hearing this Krystal's ears drooped considerably._

"_So…we're not going to hang out?"_

"_Oh no, we will…just later. See ya."_

_Miyu left Krystal as Sam walked out and beckoned her to come follow him._

_Krystal let her brand new rifle hit the ground as she saw her best-friend walk away._

_

* * *

_

Miyu was vigorously training to pass her final test before she was eligible to be considered a full-bred rogue. After that she would also be eligible to be assigned for certain missions and ultimately climb the ranks to get to where Sam currently was.

In the middle of the training grounds there was a very large padded pat. On this mat there were two figures clashing furiously with each other: Sam and another rising rogue.

He backflipped to dodge a kick and then grabbed the rogue's foot before swinging the husky out of the "ring" sketched into the mat.

He yelled out, "You fail the test…practice some more and then you can try again in a month."

He stepped out of the "ring" and refreshed himself with a cool drink before stepping right back into the "ring" and shouting out, "Next!"

He quickly closed his eyes and meditated for a quick few seconds as he waited for someone to accept his challenge and his test.

When his ears picked out the sound of someone's paws stepping onto the mat he quickly opened his eyes and prepared himself to meet…Miyu.

He was caught off guard for just a split second. He hadn't expected Miyu to be testing today…he thought that she needed a month or two more before she was ready.

"Miyu…what are you doing here? You don't need to test today. You can always test in a month or two."

"Why? You think I'm not fit?" Miyu replied in a haughty voice.

"No…I just don't want you to embarrass yourself in front of your peers and my pupils."

Miyu gave a sly smile upon hearing this and flicked her tail while giggling, "Oh…but I think you have it all upside down. You don't want to get embarrassed in front of everyone. And that's quite alright with me."

"Heh…you're just asking for it aren't you, Miyu?" Sam returned the smile with a sarcastic laugh of his own.

Sam nodded his head to a pupil and the sound of a bell resounded throughout the lobby.

Miyu kept her distance and circled Sam, who, in turn, circled her too. They were both waiting for the right moment to lash out at any sign of weakness or any indication of an opening of some sort.

Suddenly Miyu ran full speed at Sam and jumped into the air, trying her luck with aerial moves.

She landed on the soft mat, Sam was too quick to be caught by a crescent moon kick from the air. Miyu immediately ducked and Same's fist passed over her head a nanosecond later; she twsted into a backward leg sweep but Sam had already anticapted this and had leapt back a couple meters.

Then they began cricling each other once more, albeit eyeing one another more closely also. Sam scrutinized Miyu's slender form and her keen eyes, her rough fur and ever-so-vigilant tail. Miyu's eye kept on darting back and forth from Sam's chest to his masculine arms; then to his handsome face and finally coming to a stop on his blue irises.

Miyu licked the tip of her nose and beckoned at Sam to attack her. Sam smirked and charged Miyu this time.

Miyu fell back and began retreating in small measured steps, replacing her feet every second to keep up with Sam's unpredicatable fluid movements. As Sam attacked her and as she dodged them and moved around him it almost seemed like a ritual or dance or some sort. And, in a sense, they were dancing with each other, a deadly dance full of fists and feet. Miyu weaved herself around and under Sam's kicks while he blocked and parried her punches.

They came close to brushing whiskers once or twice in the process, and during those one or two times it almost happened Sam had gazed longingly into Miyu's eyes.

Suddenly they parted and spun away from one another; Sam with his fists facing Miyu, and Miyu with her knee poised in mid-air.

Sam rushed Miyu again and she lashed out with her leg. Sam expertly dodged her kick and then smoothly latched his paws onto her ankle, moving in with both his body and paws until they reached her thighs.

Miyu felt ecstatic in that slight moment and then it was gone as Sam picked her up and proceeded to throw her out of the "ring". Miyu strongly reacted to this course of action by using her other leg to wrap around Sam's neck. As she choked Sam with her spare leg he let go of her other one and tried to pry her leg off his neck. Miyu let her body go with the flow of the momentum and swung herself back up onto Sam's back. She then unlatched her leg from Sam's neck as he tried a new tactic, crush Miyu by falling backwards. She jumped off of his back just as he landed on the floor.

Miyu gracefully landed on her legs and then rushed Sam as he began to pick himself up again.

"This is it! I've got you!" were Miyu's thought's as she assaulted the still recovering Sam…or so she thought.

Sam's expression went from surprised to victorious in that split second that Miyu came within striking range. As Sam smiled at the uncoming Miyu she knew that she had already lost.

Sam's leg kicked out Miyu's right leg with lightning fast speed and dadly accuracy. At the same time he pivoted his body so that he could execute a spinning back fist on Miyu's exposed face…but he stopped his fist just inches from her face.

Then Miyu fell onto the floor in a heap and before she could recover Sam was on top of her and choking her lightly.

"Do you surrender?"

"No."

Miyu quickly rolled over and then freed her leg far quicker than Sam had predicted. She grabbed his arm and twisted it while twisting herself out of Sam's choke.

In a matter of seconds Sam was in a position where he would have to tap out or risk incapacitating his arm for a couple months.

Sam smiled in defeat and then surrendered to Miyu.

As Miyu helped Sam back onto his feet he shook his head in confusion as she smiled in victory.

"Now what was that about me getting embarrassed?"

Sam rubbed the elbow of his arm and shook his head. "I know, I know…I was wrong and you were right for once. Just how did you do it?"

Miyu flicked her tail in his face before answering. "It was your fault…you should've finished me with that back handed fist but you held back. I would've been stunned if you had gone through with it but you didn't so…thanks Sam for letting me pass the test."

Miyu grinned one last time at Sam before bounding off the mat and disappearing into the crowd.

Sam shook his head one more time and then thought to himself, "Wow…she really is something. I'm starting to like her more and more."

* * *

Krystal spars with Miyu as their separate instructors spar with each other as well.

Miyu obviously has the upper hand and is lenient with Krystal. Fox is pretty good himself but even he is no match for Sam.

As Miyu and Krystal sparred she began to strike up a conversation.

"So…why do you always leave me for Sam?"

Miyu was slightly confused because Krystal had never interferred with her personal life before.

"I…uh…train with him and do the usual."

"Did you confess your love for him yet?"

"KRYSTAL! Be quiet he's right there." Miyu stole a quick glance to check if Sam had overheard their conversation but he was too busy dodging Fox's infamous kicks to be listening in on anybody's conversation.

As Miyu turned back to Krystal she was suddenly hit in the face with a heavy blunt object.

Miyu fell to the floor and felt tears well up in her eyes as well as her cheeks swell up.

She looked up and saw what had hit her. Krystal was holding her Barretts rifle in a menacing manner and it was obvious that the butt of her rifle had hit Miyu.

"Krystal! What's going on?"

She growled at Miyu. "You always hang out with Sam and never hang out with me…its not fair. I don't like this…we were supposed to be family but now you go and bring in Sam and ignore me?"

Krystal picked up her rifle and pulled the bolt back. She was going to shoot Miyu at point blank range.

Miyu, terrified, looked to Sam for help. Sam was lying dead on the floor, his head split open by a high caliber bullet. Standing over Sam's dead body was Fox with a manical grin set in his face.

"I told you Sam! I would be the best there was…I would finally get you!"

Krystal then looked to Fox and he nodded to her.

Krystal shouldered her rifle once more and then took careful at Miyu.

"Krystal…what are you trying to do?"

"If I can't have you then nobody can."

"KRYSTA-

Miyu woke up with beads of sweat lining her face. It was only a dream…but it felt so very real.

What did her dream mean?

Miyu wiped her face off and panted for a couple of minutes before she stabilized her breathing. She rationalized to herself, "Krystal would never hurt me, much less kill me. We're best friends…that could never happen….right?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Atrophic Assassins **

_**Chapter 6**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

Miyu woke up to another day filled with just one painstaking mission. It wasn't the fact that she had to track down her prey that made it an arduous task, instead it was the fact that she had to wait in a extended line full of other assassins who were equally waiting to receive their assignments. And even after that, she would still have to take the papers and get them signed by at least an SS-rank before it was officially a mission.

Miyu stepped outside her den and headed to the main dome; the line was longer than she had expected. Miyu sighed in frustration and went back the way she came, this time going into the hallway that accommodated Krystal's den.

She knocked on the wooden slide door and patiently waited...no answer. Miyu opened the door cautiously and peered inside.

Krystal's bed was unkempt, empty bags of chips laid here and there, and her clothes laid in a heap on the ground. If there was anything that was kept in good order, it was her weapons. The Barrett's rifle looked brand-new in spite of the couple missions that it had gone through in the past. Her machine gun was also free of grease and equally maintained.

_"Krystal would never go anywhere without her guns. Just where did she go?" _Miyu thought as she closed the door again.

Then it occurred to her that Krystal was in Fox's office, considering Miyu had seen her walking with Fox near the end of the day yesterday. Miyu briskly strode to Fox's office.

Miyu paused and then knocked on the door...there was no response from behind his door either. She knocked harder this time.

Still no response.

Miyu suddenly had the curiosity to check and see if the two were secretly hiding in the room. Too afraid to answer the door. She looked behind her and checked to see if anyone was nearby: the hallways were clear, everyone was busy standing in line.

Miyu knew for a fact that Fox always kept his door locked so when the door opened, to her surprise, her curiosity soared tenfold.

Miyu took a quick glance behind her again before entering the dimly lit room.

Everything was exactly the same way that it had been when she had first been recruited by Fox almost a decade ago. The desk was still messy, the bed was still in the corner, the glass window still portrayed the sewers above.

She made her way over to Fox's desk and peered at the numerous folders spread across the top. She had always been curious as to what Fox's job was other than instructing the rising rogues. He was too valuable of an asset to be sent on missions, so he told her, so what he did in his office all day was a mystery to everyone...everyone except for, maybe, Krystal.

Fox seemed to have developed a sort of fondness with Krystal. Miyu wouldn't say that it was love...but more of a brotherly affection for her. Krystal, on the other hand, obviously had a crush on Fox. Miyu grabbed the nearest folder to her, which had the title: **H.L.**

She opened it up and saw pages and pages of essays, formally written letters from an unknown person, all clipped on one side. On the other side it had clips of all the countless murders that have been mysteriously driving terror through the assassin's ranks.

Miyu smiled at Fox's efforts of investigating the crimes and was about to close the folder when a certain sentence caught her inquisitive eye:

_"...and I congratulate you for accomplishing the most gruesome tasks within a week's length; your efforts were laudable. It must have been hard doing what I ask of you, getting rid of certain individuals but I can now see that your interest in my corporation is genuine. I deeply regret having to make you go through all that trouble but after what they found out it wasn't possible to let them live. I expect to hear from you soon my esteemed assassin."_

From the looks of things, Fox was involved in some serious affairs that didn't pertain to the creed of assassin's. Miyu's curiosity begged her to read on even though she had a bad feeling settling at the bottom of her stomach already.

_"The pleasure is all mine. If trust and dedication is what you need then I will gladly show it to you, even if it means that I have to rid myself of certain colleagues. They were nothing of trouble I can assure you because I would take great time and care to make sure our steps are covered up. I do have one request to ask of you though. I have a reputable apprentice with me, she is highly versed in the area of expertise that I preside over. I ask that you let her come along with me. She will be no trouble to our goal, I guarantee that."_

Miyu's paws couldn't hold the paper steady after she read through it all. She immediately stopped herself and paused to think. As she thought of the possibility that Fox was secretly the murderer she finally noticed a little slip of paper hidden under the clipped picture of the numerous victims. She pulled out the slip of paper and unfolded it.

When she saw the contents withheld within the paper she gasped and let it fall from her hand.

On the paper were lists of names...assassin's names. Among them were Falco, Peppy, and Sam. They were only three of the many other higher ranking assassin's who had been murdered over the course of the years.

All the names were crossed out in red ink as if this was Fox's secret hit list.

Then the revelation finally hit her like a train. The initials **H.L.** stood for **Hit List**. But after that another revelation hit her after another. Miyu may not have been as tactically gifted as Krystal but she was still smart. She began to notice similarities and patterns.

All of Fox's victim's had been runners; there were no gunners. Every single assassin that he had allegedly assassinated, they were all runners.

_"What does this mean?"_ Miyu thought to herself.

Suddenly her sensitive ears picked up footsteps coming from the hallway. Miyu quickly put everything back where it belonged and closed the folder. She crept to the door and inched it open, peering outside through the tiny crack.

The coast was clear.

Miyu opened the door all the way and quietly stepped outside. She turned around and equally quietly shut the door. That's when her sixth sense kicked in and she froze up in fear. Miyu slowly turned around and almost suffered a heart-attack.

Standing right behind her was Fox. His expression didn't seem to change behind the blade shades that he wore but Miyu could definitely see his arms tense up...almost as if he was restraining himself from shooting Miyu on the spot.

"So...somebody's been sleeping in my bed. It wouldn't happen to be you...would it?" Fox asked in a calculated voice.

"N-no. I was just checking to see where Krystal was." Miyu struggled not to buckle under his intimidating gaze.

He lifted his paw and pointed a thumb in the direction of the main dome. "She's waiting for you back there. You better hurry up before she gets restless."

As Miyu began to leave Fox grabbed her shoulder rather roughly and whispered in her ear, "Oh and be careful out there on your mission Miyu. I heard that it's not safe for runners to be out alone these days. Make sure that you always have Krystal to watch your back. We wouldn't want any more accidents now...would we?"

After Fox released Miyu, she quickly nodded her head and made her exit.

As Miyu approached the entrance to the main dome she was able to spot Krystal quickly because of her contrastingly blue fur against the numerous other colors.

"Hey Miyu! I just got back from a scouting mission with Fox."

She nodded her head and glanced behind her to check if Fox was watching her. He wasn't.

"Yo...Miyu? Hello? You alright? You look like you saw a ghost." Krystal waved her paw freely in Miyu's face.

"Oh ya...I'm fine. It's just that I'm really nervous about my next mission. You know, with me ranking up I now get to choose my missions and all."

Krystal chuckled, "Don't worry about it Miyu! You'll get over it soon enough. Did you meet Fox yet? He can give you some tips if you need any."

"No...I'm perfectly fine by myself."

Krystal frowned at Miyu. "You don't seem to like him much."

Miyu shook her head, "No, its not that. I just don't trust him. I wouldn't get close to him if I were you."

Krystal carefully contemplated Miyu's words before she began to nod her head as if she figured out Miyu's problems. "Oh I see now! You're jealous aren't you? Ever since you lost Sam and I found Fox you became jealous, right? I can totally understand you but thats a bit mean, hating on Fox just because I have a lover and you don't."

Miyu stared at Krystal incredulously. "What are you talking about Krystal? I'm not jealous at all. It's just that I found someth-

"Found what out?" A familiar voice rang out.

Miyu's tail bristled and she willed herself to look into his black shades.

"Oh hey there Fox! I think Miyu is jealous of us Fox. She's mad that I have a close mentor while she doesn't."

Fox wrapped one arm around Krystal while wrapping his other around Miyu.

"Well you know what they say about jealousy. Envy is the ulcer of the soul. Don't let that jealously get to you and kill you, ya hear? I would really hate to have one of my top assassin's get killed because of envy."

With that being said Fox let go and beckoned Krystal to follow him. She waved to Miyu before prancing away.

Miyu shivered at Fox's words; it was a deadly word of warning.

=-----==-----=

Later that day, as Miyu put her sparring equipment away and made her way to her den, Miyu found a small folded note stuck in her doorway.

She pulled it out and closed her door before unfolding it.

Miyu gasped and her arms shook as she looked at the hit list that she had read earlier today. It had a new name written at the very bottom: Miyu.


End file.
